While all plants need a specific temperature to grow, shrubs and trees have their own characteristics. If you’re planting in a zone 6 climate, learning what your shrubs need will help you maximize their life span. This article will go over 11 shrubs that thrive in this zone, and the best practices for maintaining their growth. To get started, read on to discover which shrubs should be planted in your garden. If you’re unsure which ones to choose, consider starting small by starting with an easy-to-grow shrub.
Fountain butterfly bush
The Fountain butterfly bush is an excellent choice for zones 6b to 8b. This shrub needs 6 hours of sun each day and a well-drained location. It can survive a variety of soil conditions and thrives with half an inch of water per week. While it can survive cold temperatures, it does not tolerate drought. If you experience drought stress, consider transplanting the plant to a different location or mulching heavily. The plants will recover and grow back, but they will require some extra care.
This plant’s flowers are grouped into panicles and come in a variety of colors, including white, purple, pink, and blue. The flowers are fragrant and are a staple of wildlife habitats, as they provide rich nectar for bees, lady beetles, and birds. During the fall, they can be attractively fragrant as well. In zone 6b, you can choose from several varieties.
Butterfly bush pruning is a relatively simple task. After removing the spent flowers from the plant, prune it lightly to keep its shape. The center stems should be pruned to their highest height. Remove any beefy side stems that arch away from the main cluster of flowers. If you don’t want the bushes to grow into their full height, cut back some of the top growth with sharp loppers.
If you don’t want to transplant the Butterfly bush, you can plant the seedlings directly in the desired location. It needs moist, well-drained soil and full sun. Make sure to prepare the site before planting. Butterflies love sunny, wet soil, so make sure to plant it where it will get plenty of light. Once you have transplanted your butterfly bush, it won’t need much maintenance once it has settled into its new home. After transplanting, you’ll only need to repot it in the same manner as other plants.
‘Crimson Pygmy’
If you’re looking for a low-maintenance, easy-care Japanese Barberry shrub that will be a beautiful addition to your landscape, ‘Crimson Pygmy’ is the right choice for your garden. This small-to-medium-sized shrub will grow to be 30 inches tall at maturity and will spread to 3 feet in diameter. Plant Crimson Pygmy shrubs 2 feet apart on center, and they will grow together faster. Plant this shrub in groups of three or more for an amazing effect! Plant ‘Crimson Pygmy’ with dark green shrubs and Azaleas in Zone 9 for a spectacular Japanese-themed landscape.
‘Crimson Pygmy’ Japanese Barberry is a great choice for foundation plantings, where its deep red foliage looks fantastic. The compact growth habit of this plant will help it maintain its color throughout the season. The shrub’s compact habit means that it is easily grown in pots and can be planted in front of larger shrubs. It is compact enough to fit into large containers, and is a good barrier plant that won’t get in the way of your walkway. It will also make a great low-growing hedge along the drive or fence.
For a colorful accent plant, consider adding ‘Crimson Pygmy’ barberry to your landscape. This low-maintenance shrub grows quickly and is pest and disease resistant, making it a popular choice for landscape designers. In addition to being low-maintenance, it requires minimal maintenance and is resistant to deer browsing. You can plant this shrub wherever you want to enjoy its beauty, while also providing food for birds and butterflies.
‘Green Mountain’
‘Green Mountain’ shrubs for zone six-bomb exposures are ideal for hedges and containers. They have attractive foliage year-round. The foliage turns bronze in winter, but soon fades away with the arrival of new growth in spring. The foliage is highly adaptable and can be used for low hedges, edging practices, and foundation vegetation. Aside from being a tough choice for foundation plantings, ‘Green Mountain’ is also ideal for topiary forms.
There are a few choices for hedges in zone sixb, including a few hardy species. Winter Gem Boxwood and Oregon Grape Holly are hardy to -10 degrees F. Many hardy trees and shrubs recover from late spring frost, so it’s important to prune damaged branches only if they leaf out again. The same applies to Holly, Grape Holly, and Annabelle Hydrangea.
The ‘Green Mountain’ boxwood belongs to the Buxaceae family. Boxwoods date back to 4000 BC and are native to the southern US. Their lush foliage looks best in a partial shaded garden. They tolerate a variety of soil textures and are suitable for shady and partial shaded areas. They thrive in pots and the ground, and grow well in container gardens.
‘Golden Lights’ and ‘Weston’s Lollipop’ are azalea varieties that are hardy in zones six and seven, but are not as cold-hardy as their larger cousins. Despite their cold-hardiness, both varieties require protection during winter, and they are best suited to part-shade or partial shade. They can grow to six feet high and five feet wide in zone sixb.
‘Amelanchier canadensis’
Amelanchier canadensis, commonly known as Shadblow Serviceberry, is a deciduous, multi-season shrub. The fruit is edible and is prized by birds. In zones three to seven, it is hardy. It is a native of the swamps and bogs of the southern United States. Its striking gray bark has striations of charcoal-gray.
‘Amelanchier canaDENSIS’ is one of many varieties of ‘Amelanchier’. The plant looks similar to a hybrid of two species, but has more delicate leaves. It also has a star-shaped flower that blooms in early spring. The berries are dark purple or black, and the foliage is very finely toothed. Its leaves are about three inches long and turn orange-red in fall.
The Eastern Redbud is another popular choice. It has four seasons of interest. It produces pink flowers and produces edible fruits in late summer. This plant is also adaptable to low pH, so it can survive in containers. It is an attractive shrub that tolerates windy areas, but will grow well in a landscaped garden. It is also tolerant of salt and alkalinity.
‘Amelanchier canaDENSIS’ is a fast-growing, low-growing, upright shrub that grows to six to ten feet. Its showy red stems are edible to wildlife and has an early to mid-succession habit. It is shade-tolerant and has a moderate level of drought and moisture tolerance. It also fixes nitrogen.
‘Serviceberry’
Serviceberry trees are best known for their fragrant white flowers, which appear in large clusters in early spring. The flowers are composed of five widely spaced petals arranged in a star shape. They appear on bare stems and droop pendulously. The clusters of blooms range in size from three to six inches. Although serviceberry flowers are typically white, some species produce flowers in other colors.
Although serviceberry is quite hardy, it will not thrive in very warm, dry conditions. Serviceberry will need partial shade and partial sunlight to produce its best fruits. It also prefers moist, well-drained soil with a pH level between 5.5 and 7.0. Once established, Serviceberry is drought resistant. This plant rarely needs pruning, so there are very few reasons not to plant it! You can enjoy the flowers and fruits of a serviceberry for years to come.
The Alleghany serviceberry is a multi-stemmed, narrow shrub that grows up to 25 feet tall and five to ten feet wide. It blooms in late spring and produces clusters of white flowers. In the fall, the leaves turn red. The fruit is a delicious treat, attracting many birds to the area. The Alleghany serviceberry has smooth, striped gray bark and red stems.
The species name for the serviceberry is Amelanchier sanguinea, which means blood red. As the name suggests, the serviceberry has red twigs, which are the primary characteristic of this plant. The flowers of this shrub are fragrant and appear early in spring. There are a number of cultivars of this species available in the market, including Micropetala and Red-twig.